Remember
by Liberated Dragon
Summary: Short story where Odin and Thor remember what they have missed.


Warning: Possible spoiler for The Dark World

Disclaimer: I don't any of these characters. They are owned by Marvel and Walt Disney.

Remember

The scene was magnificent, lights of the cosmos dancing across the water. The city sparkled like they belonged in that heavenly sky. But then, wasn't it considered the realm eternal. Why not reflect its infinite grandeur into the mirrored water and the sky?

One old-blue eye stared out into the space, as he stood on the balcony to his room. In his exhaustion, he seemed not to notice the beauty anymore.

He continued to stare, a frown curving over his features, as he stood there. Until he sighed, and turned, looking at the door that had been knocked upon.

"Come!" he commanded.

His face sneered imperceptibly, as the young God walked in, but was immediately wiped away before noticed.

"Ah, my son, you have favored me with your presence," said any other way it would seem a snide comment. But, he was Odin and this was his favored son, his now only son.

The man did not notice. "Father, I am back from Midgard. It does well!"

Odin smiled, "Good, good!" He turned away to look over the scenery once again. Thor walked up beside his father to also share the view. He turned to look at his father, and noticed the unslept bed behind him.

"Father, do you not sleep in your bed anymore?"

"No!"

"You still miss Mother!"

"I cannot sleep where she once slept, it seems," he pause, searching for the right words, his fists tightening, "disrespectful."

"I see," Thor's sad eyes stared into the cosmos. "I miss her too," he continued, "and Loki."

Odin turned to his son, "You still think of him, after what he did?"

"Yes", Thor immediately responded. "Having him gone has made me think of him more."

"More?"

Thor pause, trying to pick through his words carefully, and laughed, "Loki could probably pick the words better than I. He would laugh at my attempt."

Odin smirked. He knew that it was true.

"Yet, I feel I must speak the words of my heart. Hear them in the open, so I can puzzle over them more. And," he turned to Odin, "so someone will know how I've wronged my brother."

Odin's body started in surprise. "You wronged him?"

Thor continued to stare out into the abyss of stars, a rare moment of silent thought.

"Remember when we were young," his eyes never leaving the stars. "Remember, you told us, that only one of us would be King, but we were both meant to rule. When we were younger, I knew, as the oldest, that I would be King. But I never imagined that Loki would not be there. I always figured he would be at my side." He smiled, "Keeping me from being foolish."

His eyes darted to Odin, "He may have cause pranks, but none of them caused much harm, but" he looked back at the stars, "where it was important for Asgard, his advice was true."

Odin turned to the stars once more, his eyes darting to the side sporadically to contemplate his oddly silent eldest son.

"I cannot see you." Thor suddenly whispered. Odin nearly jumped and turned with a wide eye to stare at Thor, whose eyes hadn't left the scene.

"I look at this grandeur, and I don't see you right beside me," he whispered again. He bowed his head, his eyes now distant. "They say sometimes the thing closest to you, right next to you, is the thing you fail to see."

"I was that way," he sighed. "As I got older, as I was told of my future as king, I would look ahead to that grand future and not see that which stood next to me. At least, not what was the most important."

Thor sighed, and turning, smiled wistfully, and bowed to his father in silent good-night. He turned his back and walked to the door, slowly opening it.

Odin sighed, his tight shoulders relaxing slightly in relief and exhaustion, until Thor paused.

"Father, once, in Jotunheim, as he stood behind me, trying to pull me back, I told him to remember his place." Odin could see Thor's own shoulders slump in tired defeat. "But," he continued, "I was the one in need of reminding."

Thor turned his watery, unfocused eyes to look into one shocked green eye, and before walking out the door, he lamented, "His place was at my side."


End file.
